The Valley of the Princes

Sordello leads Dante and Virgil to a beautiful valley filled with flowers and fragrant herbs, where the souls of negligent princes are gathered. They sing 'Salve Regina.' Sordello points out the various rulers: Rudolph of Habsburg, Ottocar of Bohemia, Philip III of France, Henry I of Navarre, Peter III of Aragon, Charles I of Anjou, Henry III of England, and William VII of Montferrat. These princes were negligent in their duties and are now waiting in the valley. This episode provides a panoramic view of European politics and Dante's judgments on contemporary rulers.